Well let’s take a look. Truth is it happens to the best of students at times (adults included). It’s natural to feel this way during an exam. In fact, sometimes it can help you get a great start.
This is especially true when students take mid-terms, finals, standardized tests i.e. SAT, ACT, AP exams, CRCT. Students spend so much time preparing for the exam they work themselves up into a nervous fit causing them to forget the answers.
Preparation is the key! But it is also important to sit with your student and explain why tests are necessary. Students often find tests to be of a form of punishment from their teacher rather than a document that evaluates what has been taught in a specific course.
Here are some tips for preparing your student for test day:
1. Study: Make flashcards, create games and get the whole family involved. By studying early it leaves you enough time to ask questions and review those problems you are not too sure about.
2. Get a good night’s rest before and eat a great breakfast the morning of the test. In a scientific study, people who got enough sleep before taking a math test did better than those who stayed up all night studying.
3. Read the directions twice. It is easy to skip over important information when you are nervous and in a rush. Take your time, it’s not a race.
4. P.O.E. Process of Elimination, try your best to eliminate as many questions as you can. Almost every test has an answer that makes no sense at all. For short answer questions be sure to answer the question in its entirety.
5. Show your work! This is especially necessary when taking a math test, showing and checking your work can be your saving grace. Teachers want to see all your work. Even though it may take an additional minute or so it’s worth it!
6. Review your answers twice. Take two- three minutes to review your test answers again. Sometimes, you make the mistake of marking the wrong answer due to reading the question incorrectly or your mind could just be in another place.
It is important to remember that a test can be as stressful as you allow it to be. If you study and prepare yourself you can do anything! A great quote to remember is one from Alexander Graham Bell, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success. “
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